Devotionals by Renewing Your Mind

I remember the remarkable success of the little book published in the middle of the twentieth century by J. B. Phillips titled Your God Is Too Small. The book was a ringing challenge to seek a deeper understanding of the nature and character of God. It obviously struck a nerve, as multitudes of people devoured the book in a quest to expand their knowledge of the majesty of God.

I wish that someone could provoke the same response with regard to Christ. In my years of publishing and producing educational materials for Christians, I have been puzzled by something strange. I have noticed that books and tapes about Jesus do not do well in Christian bookstores. I am not sure why this is so. Perhaps it has something to do with a widespread assumption that we already know a lot about Jesus or that there may be something irreligious about studying the person and work of Christ too deeply.

There seems to be something wrong with our understanding of Jesus. We speak in saccharine terms of "gentle Jesus, meek and mild," and of His "sweetness," but the depth and riches of His nature remain elusive to us. Now, I love to speak of the sweetness of Christ. There is nothing wrong with this language. But we need to understand what it is about Him that makes Him so sweet to believers.

Coram Deo: Living in the Presence of God

Go to your local Christian bookstore and buy a book about Jesus. As you read it, ask God to reveal to you the true nature of His Son.

For Further Study

Isaiah 53:2: "For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him."

Acts 8:32: "The place in the Scripture which he read was this: ‘He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so He opened not His mouth.'"

Colossians 2:9: "For in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

When you subscribe to Tabletalk, you get a tool that helps you grow in your knowledge of God and in your love for His Son and His people. Each month is packed with more than 60 pages of focused, practical Bible study and insightful commentary by today's top Christian thinkers. Learn more about the magazine.

Featured Offer from Renewing Your Mind

Tabletalk’s daily Bible studies offer structure for your devotional life. Bringing the best in biblical scholarship together with down-to-earth writing, Tabletalk helps you understand the Bible and apply it to daily living.

Each issue contains challenging, stimulating articles on a wide variety of issues related to theology and Christian living, written by eminently trustworthy authors—names like Sinclair Ferguson, John MacArthur and R.C. Sproul.